Agency (Lucknow/Prayagraj):
The Gyanvapi mosque management committee has expressed its determination to challenge the Allahabad High Court’s ruling regarding the maintainability of a 1991 lawsuit. This lawsuit involves the “restoration” of a temple at the site where the Gyanvapi mosque currently stands in Varanasi.
Syed Muhammad Yasin, Joint Secretary of Anjuman Intezamia Masjid, stated that the committee is set to review the court’s order and will reach a decision by Wednesday evening about potentially challenging the high court’s decision in the Supreme Court. Yasin emphasized that, despite the decision, they believe justice has not been served and vowed to continue the legal fight “till our last breath.”
The high court dismissed five related petitions filed over the years by the mosque management committee and the Uttar Pradesh Central Sunni Waqf Board. The court held that the lawsuit filed before the district court is not barred by the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, 1991, which mandates that the religious character of a place cannot be altered from what existed on August 15, 1947.
Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal, in his observation, noted that the Act does not define ‘religious character,’ which can only be determined through evidence presented in court by the opposing parties. The judge also underscored the national importance of the case and ordered that the trial be concluded as swiftly as possible, preferably within six months.
The high court acknowledged the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) survey conducted at the Gyanvapi complex, as directed by the trial court, which is hearing a petition from a group of women seeking regular access to Hindu deities depicted on the mosque’s rear wall. The judge added that the lower court might direct ASI for a further survey if required.
